Especially for those who live in the northern states, a winter car and home emergency kit is very important for everyone in your household. Snowstorms and blizzards also cause a number of delays, disasters, and even death each year. So it’s important to be prepared for the worst during the colder months.

While the idea may sound silly, winter survival kits can be very convenient if the gas in your car freezes or you simply can’t go outside in the event of a polar vortex.

Check out all of following items that should be included in your winter survival kit for your home and car.

Winter Survival Kit for Your Home

In the event of a blizzard or extremely cold conditions, there is always a potential for disasters to occur.

Most families spend the majority of their time at home during the winter. Keep everyone safe and protected with a fully-stocked emergency kit containing the following items:

• Snow shovels and other snow removal supplies in the event that a blizzard or snowstorm blocks the walkway or driveway and prevents you from getting out.
• Clothes and blankets for everyone in the family.
• Salt, or something similar to melt ice on the driveway and sidewalk.
• Gas or other heating fuel in case the furnace shuts off unexpectedly.
• Plenty of batteries and flashlights.
• First aid supplies, including necessary medications, band aids, and personal hygiene items.
• Non-perishable food and bottled water supply for 3 days.
• Crank radio or one that is battery-operated.
• Portable chargers with cell phones in case the power is shut off.

You may also want to consider purchasing a home survival kit as many of them can be bought online to save you the trouble. In either case, be sure to be prepared in the event of a blizzard or snowstorm to keep your family safe.

Winter Survival Kit for Your Car

Nothing could be worse than being stranded on the road with a non-functioning car. But a well-stocked emergency kit can either get you back on the road or at least keep you comfortable while you’re waiting for help to arrive.

Just like for homes, there are winter emergency kits for cars that can be purchased online; however, they may not have all of the items you need. If you’d like to build your own kit instead, you can use some heavier duty items that will be convenient for your specific needs.

Here are some items to include in your winter car emergency kit:

Don’t forget to keep a bag of sand in your trunk for traction if you have a light, compact car.

• Ice scraper: Every car in an area that gets snow during the winter should have an ice scraper and snow brush. When purchasing a full kit, they will include cheap scrapers. But carrying a combination of a scraper and snow brush makes traveling much easier. In some states, clearing the ice and snow from your car is the law. Where it’s not, this not only makes it more convenient for you, but it’s common courtesy for others because it’s not blowing into their line of vision.
• Portable shovel: These tools are convenient for digging out your car and the space around when it’s stuck along the roadside or buried by a plow. Most emergency kits come with a collapsible shovel that comes in various sizes, however, full-size shovels are most convenient for moving large amounts of snow away from cars. Lastly, don’t forget to keep a bag of sand in your trunk for traction if you have a light, compact car.
• Battery booster cables: In case you end up with a dead battery or someone else needs help, a portable jump starter is easy, convenient, and works well. Just make sure to keep it charged while on the road.
• Basic first-aid kit: Most emergency kits will come with a basic kit, but none have the extras like specific medicines. Build your own first aid kit and stock it with medicines you need for your family.
• Helpful items if your stranded: Most emergency kits come with flashlights, but they won’t be helpful for long as they tend to be the cheapest. Pick up batteries, a better flashlight, roadside triangles, signaling cones, and a reflective safety vest to include in your survival kit.
• Cell-phone charger: Almost everyone has a smartphone nowadays, so it’s a good idea to keep a portable charger in the car, especially during the winter and on road trips.
• Additional convenient items: Here are some additional items to keep you warm in the event you become stranded during a snowstorm: wipes, rags, poncho, blanket, gloves, boots, and hat. These will be especially helpful in snowy conditions.
• Water and non-perishable food: Simple things like bottled water and granola bars can keep you hydrated and satisfied while you wait for help. Make sure to replace the bottled water after six months.
• Fire extinguisher: In the event of a small fire in the car, these can be convenient. There are specific extinguishers that are intended for automotive use. But if it has already grown too large to extinguish yourself, back away and wait for emergency services.

Every family will have unique needs, but the advantage of building your own emergency kit instead of purchasing one that is pre-made is that you can customize it so it’s most convenient for you. You can also be sure that each of the items within the kit are higher quality than what’s included in the pre-made kits.

Get Help from a Restoration Company

In the event of a blizzard or extremely cold conditions, there is always the potential for disasters to occur. If you are at home, one common disaster includes frozen and burst pipes. When temperatures drop below freezing, the water inside an uninsulated pipe will also freeze. This applies additional pressure to the inside of the pipe, eventually causing it to burst and flood the surrounding area.

As soon as you find a burst pipe in your home, quickly turn off the main water supply and call an emergency water damage restoration service. Doing so right away is crucial as the water damage can quickly spread throughout your property structure and affect additional household materials.

Water damage restoration professionals are available 24/7 and will respond immediately, especially in the case of burst pipes. They will arrive on-site shortly after your first call, extract the water, set up drying equipment to remove the remaining moisture, and disinfect the remaining materials to prevent mold growth.

With quick and professional services, you can have the peace of mind knowing that all damage from the winter disaster is restored.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.